Insulator



Patented June 20, 1944 iNsULAroR J i Minot K. Holmes, Muncie, Ind.,asslgnor to Owens-Illinois Glass Company, a corporation of OhioApplication July 12, 1941, Serial No. 402,197

7 Claims. (01. 174-165) The present invention relates-to improvements ininsulators and aims to provide novel construction and means for readilyremovably attaching insulators} or wire ho1ders,,to a support.

Generally wire holders or insulators of a low voltage type, to whichthepresent invention reiers, are manufactured in a wide variety of stylesparticularly as regards the devices for attaching them to a support.Inorder to meet the various installation requirements encountered,insulators are made with long and short screws, or bolts, whichare..usually permanently embedded or molded, therein, thus necessitatingthe maintenance ofYa'sufiiciently complete stock of a plurality ofstyles.

It isthe primary object of the present invention to provide, aninsulator having more or less universal application in that it isconstructed in almanner to employ detachable or interchangeable mountingpins and thus eliminatethe need for numerous style combinations.

Another object of the invention is the provi- 'sion of novel means forremovably securing a mounting pin to the insulator body.

j' A further object of the invention is the provision of novel means forapplying a pin holding clip to the insulator body.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointedout'hereinafter.

j In the drawing; I v

,f Fig. 1 is an elevational view of an insulator embodying myinventionmounted on a support. j Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through theinsulator taken along the plane of line 2-2, of Fi .1..

" Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the insulator with the mounting screwshown in section.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a compression "gasket. j a Fig. 5 is aperspective viewof the screw holdm sup.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the head of the clip inserting tool.

' Fig. '7 is a fragmentary sectional view through an insulatorillustrating a preliminary clip inserting position. 1

, Fig. 8 is a similar sectional View showing the inserting tool andclip, or insert, in final posi tion.

shape an'd'adapted for mounting on a suitable support II. The insulatorbody is providedin its'lower end, or base, with'a cavity 12, which issubstantially 'L-shaped and includes a longitudinal passageway, or legl2 which opens through the base. I3. This passageway is disposed at oneside of the longitudinal axis of the insulator. The inner end M, or baseof the cavity I2 is disposed at right angles to the longitudinalpassageway and opens into the end wall by means of an axial groove I5 inone wall of said passageway. This groove is adapted to receive the shankof ,an' attaching or supporting screw [6 having a head '11. The head I1is normally adapted to lie within the chamber M of the cavity (Fig. 2)as will be brought out presently. The outer wall of' the cavity 14 intowhich the groove l5 opens, forms a shoulder l8 against which a pinretaining clip I9 is adapted to seat.

The clip [9 (Fig. 5) which may be formed of sheetv metal includes asubstantially U-shaped top 20 providing an opening 2| which is adaptedto register with the aforementioned axial groove !5, when placed in theinsulator. A depending flange formed along the closed edge of the top20, provides a retaining Wall 2201' lug for the screw head H and alsoaids in inserting the clip in the insulator. The free ends of the armsforming the side walls of the opening 2|, are bent downwardly andupwardly and thence outwardly, and form lugs 23 for engaging the head'ofthe pin in cooperation with said retaining wall 22. Ears 24 providedby'lateral extensions on theextreme end of the arms are bent upwardly asshown in Fig. 5 to permit ready insertion in the insulator. Afterwardthey are bent downwardly to the broken line position for locking theclip in position. Grooves 25 are provided in opposite walls of thecavity at the juncture of the longitudinal passageway I2 and groove l5for receiving'the ears 24 when they are pressed into locking position. Agasket 26 (Fig. 4) of a malleable material such as lead, and ofsubstantially the size and shape of the U-shaped top 20 of the clip, isplaced thereon prior to insertion into the insulator. The gasket isadapted to compensate for any surface irregularities and insure apositive seat for the lag screw when tightening pressure is applied formounting the insulator. a

In order to facilitate installation of the clip and gasket, I haveprovided a tool 28 (Figs. 6, '7, and 8) for inserting and locking theclip inposition. The tool comprises a rectangular head 29 carried on arod 30 which is threaded at its upper end to receive a nut 3|. The headis provided with slots 32 into which the lugs 23 of the clip are placedto properly position'the' clip so that the body of the clip is thussupported on the end wall i3 or base, of the insulator.

the head. The gasket 26 may then be placed over the clip and the toollowered into the longitudinal portion I2 01 the cavity 12. The tool maybe caused to assume the angular position illustrated in Fig. 7, with therod 30 lying partially within the groove IS, in order to properly placethe clip against the shoulder I8 (Fig. 8). A U-shaped pressing orspreading fork 33 is then placed on the rod 30, one leg of the forkextending into the grooves 25 and bearing against the upturned ears 24and the other end bearing on y threading the nut on the rod, pressure isapplied to the ears 24 and the latter are thereby pressed outwardly anddownwardly into the grooves 25. The head 29 is provided with extensions34 which provide a backing for and support the ears 24 during bending ofthe latter.

After the clip is secured in position the fork 33 may be removed fromthe rod 30 and the head 29 lowered to the broken line position shown in.Fig. 8. The head is thus freed from the clip and may be moved towardand into the longitudinal portion I2 of the cavity and withdrawn.

In attaching a mounting screw to the insulator, the screw is insertedhead foremost into the cavity l2 and moved laterally toward the .axis ofthe insulator so that the shank of the screw lies within the groove IS.A slight withdrawal of the screw thus brings the head I! into contactwith the clip and in frictional contact with and behind the lugs 23.With the screw in place, the insulator may be mounted on a support byrotating it to thread the screw therein. Binding pressure of theinsulator body against the support draws the clip tightly against theshoulder I8, the gasket 26 being relatively soft and compensating forany irregularities in the surface thereof and preventing undue strain,which might tend to weaken, or crack, the glass. Modifications may beresorted to within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An insulator of the character described comprising a body having asubstantially L- shaped cavity which includes outer and innerintercommunicating chambers, said outer chamber opening through one endof the body, and said inner chamber disposed axially of the insulator,one wall forming said outer chamber having a groove arranged axially ofthe body and opening axially at one end into said inner chamber and atits other end through said one end of the body, said groove beingsmaller in crosssectional area than the outer chamber, a demountablesupporting pin for the insulator, and means including a U-shaped clipfor holding said pin against accidental removal from the 2. An insulatorof the character described having a substantially L-shaped cavity oneleg of which extends lengthwise of the insulator and to one side of theaxis thereof, a demountable supporting pin for said insulator, atransverse shoulder formed within the cavity, a substantially U-shapedclip adapted to seat against said shoulder, lugs formed on said clip forengaging said pin, and ears securing said clip within the cavity. i

3. An insulator of the character described having a substantiallyL-shaped cavity one leg of which extends lengthwise of the insulator andto one side of the axis thereof, a demountable supporting pin for saidinsulator, a shoulder formed within a chamber of the cavity, asubstantially U-shaped clip adapted to seat against said shoulder, lugsformed on said clip for engaging said pin, a. malleable gasket disposedbetween said clip and shoulder, and ears formed on the clip engaging ingrooves formed in the walls of the cavity for securing said cliptherein.

4. An insulator of the character described comprising a body having asubstantially L- shaped cavity which includes outer and innerintercommunicating chambers, said outer chamher opening through one endof the body, and said inner chamber disposed axially of the in sulator,one wall forming said outer chamber having a groove arranged axially ofthe body and opening at one end into said inner chamber and at its otherend through said one end of the body, the wall of said inner chamberadjacent the groove forming a shoulder, a demountable supporting pin forthe insulator, a substantially U-shaped clip adapted to seat againstsaid shoulder and retain said pin axially of the insulator, lugs formedon said clip for releasably engaging said pin, ears formed on the clipengaging in grooves formed in the walls of the cavity, and a malleablegasket disposed between said clip and shoulder.

5. An insulator comprising a body having a base portion and asubstantially L-shaped cavity, one leg of the cavity extendinglongitudinally of the body and opening through the base at one side ofthe axis thereof, the other leg of said cavity extending across the axisof the body, said body also having a longitudinal axial groove openingat one side into said one leg of the cavity and opening at its ends intothe other leg of the cavity and through the base of the body, saidgroove being smaller in crosssectional area than said one leg of thecavity said body having a pair of opposed longitudinal channels at thejuncture of the groove and first named leg of the cavity, and means inpart secured in said channels for anchoring the head of a headedsupporting element in said other leg of the cavity.

6. An insulator comprising a body having a base portion and asubstantially L-shaped cavity, one leg of the cavity extendinglongitudinally of the body and opening through the base at one side ofthe axis thereof, the other leg of said cavity extending across the axisof the body, said body also having a longitudinal groove opening at oneside into said one leg of the cavity and opening at its ends into theother leg of the cavity and through the base of the body, said bodyhaving a pair of opposed longitudinal channels at the juncture of thegroove and first named leg of the cavity, and means in part secured insaid channels for anchoring the head of a headed supporting element insaid other leg of the cavity, said means including a substantiallyU-shaped clip arranged at the inner end of the groove, ears formed onthe arms of said clip and projecting into the channels and spaced lugsformed on the clip and projecting inwardly into said other leg of thecavity. 7

7. An insulator comprising a body having a base portion and asubstantially L-shapedcavity, one leg of the cavity extendinglongitudinally of the body and opening through the base at one side ofthe axis thereof, the other leg oi said cavity extending across the axisof the body, said body also having a longitudinal groove opening at oneside into said one leg oi the cavity and opening at its ends into theother leg of the cavity and through the base of the body,

said body having a pair of opposed longitudinal channels at the junctureof the groove and first named leg of the cavity, and means in partsecured in said channels for anchoring the head of a headed supportingelement in said other leg of the cavity, said means including asubstantially U-shaped clip arranged at the inner end of the groove,ears formed on the arms of said clip and projecting into the channelsand spaced lugs formed on the clip and projecting inwardly into saidother leg of the cavity, certain of said lugs being formed by bendingthe free ends of the arms upon themselves and thence in the normaldirection of the arms.

MINO'I K. HOLMES.

